At long last, this week sees the release of God of War 3, the Playstation 3 exclusive which has been three years in the making. Continuing the vastly popular franchise from the Playstation 2, this is the first time we'll witness Kratos' adventures on a next gen console. Suffice to say, the wait has been well worth it.

The God of War franchise has always been a byword for action adventure mastery, and this title returns to show the rest how it's done. We join Kratos just where the last game left off, scaling Mount Olympus itself to lay siege to the remaining Gods that betrayed him. This gives rise to a number of new gameplay possibilities.

God of War 3 benefits from a dynamic camera, swinging and looping to follow Kratos in a stark contrast to the fixed camera of previous installments. The ascent of Mount Olympus also allows for some breathtaking gameplay elements, including flying high on wind pockets or battling Titans over sheer drops.

God of War III

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Retail Price: $59.99

Amazon Price: $49.99

Graphically, God of War 3 is stunning. The character details are highly developed, right down to skin pores. The diverse environments offer a rich display of creativity, from the domain of the Gods to the depths of Hell. The gameplay continues to set the standard, with Kratos gaining access to an impressive array of new weapons, all of which will play a strategic part in your varied battles.

It was almost a forgone conclusion, but God of War 3 is an amazing title. Every possible facet of what makes a game great is rolled into one; epic storyline, amazing graphics and engaging gameplay. The franchise continues to blow all competition out of the water, and if you own a Playstation 3 you simply must check it out!

The new AVP videogame is out after several poor attempts at Alien, Predator and AVP games, begging the question have producers Rebellion finally created a videogame to satisfy the hardcore AVP fans?

Aliens Vs. Predator Hunter Edition

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Retail Price: $99.95

Amazon Price: $87.69

The answer in brief is yes. Released for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Games for Windows the new AVP videogame contains three campaigns, allowing the player to control the hunter, survivor or prey. Starting on the Coloniel Marines campaign, you begin as the rookie of the team on a small spacecraft that witnesses a gigantic Predator ship obliterate your mothership. Of course the only option available is for your vessel to land on an undisclosed planet.

The next cutscene features your character waking up after blacking out from the drop, and being told by Tequila (closely resembling Vasquez from Aliens) that this mission will become a "bug hunt". The next few stages are just for the player to get to grips with the controls, which will be familiar to most FPS players. Players will be fending off hordes of xenomorphs whilst waiting for an elevator to bring you to safety.

It's during this instance players will notice how impressive the lighting of the new Aliens vs. Predator is; was that a vent falling off? or was it a xenomorph on the ceiling? The answer is that you will not know until it may be too late! Lighting has been used to genius effect in creating tense and unsure gameplay. The weapons look and sound authentic to the Alien films.

If the Marines campaign is the closest to an FPS as possible in this AVP videogame, then the Aliens campaign is the furthest away from that. The scene opens with a xenomorph breeding laboratory with test subjects being harvested for their bioweapons research. However your Alien is different, as you decide to make your escape through your surrogate parent's throat, this indicates you're a more intelligent species of Alien. A power failure gives you the perfect chance to make your escape. Mission objectives are given to you telepathically from the Alien Queen, and your Alien itself is a living weapon, armed with razor tipped tail. Alien play style favours stealth and surprise attacks from the shadows, and it is the most versatile of the combatants.

The Predator campaign is a mix of the Marine and Alien campaigns. Being a Predator you rely heavily on your advanced technology and use of stealth to eliminate your prey. The predator campaign in this AVP videogame is to locate and retrieve the bodies of several "youngbloods"; Predators that have gone missing. The Predator will be the favourite of the three campaigns, due to all its weaponry and utterly gruesome steath kills.

Overall, the new AVP videogame will satisfy the hardcore fans as it remains faithful to both the Alien and Predator films. The graphics could have been improved slightly but the lighting and sound effects far make up for any visual gripes. Combining these elements with an excellent multiplayer mode has created the best AVP videogame to date.